Wayfarer By Faith: Faith

Street kids ministry to a delightful bunch of orphan boys and girls in Mandevo, Zimbabwe. Photograph by Janielle, December 2014.

I’ve been thinking about our world today as we know it, live it, and breathe it. It’s scary just to contemplate the reality of our generation’s consumerist culture. We are all caught up in the web of ‘more for me, myself and I’ – the subtly vicious cycle of getting, buying, selling, and profiting more, for ourselves. We don’t need to overtly reject or run away from faith or the reality of God, we just need to occupy and cram our minds, hearts and schedules with more ‘stuff’. As Darren Cronshaw wrote, “Malls are our cathedrals.” Our modern havens reek superficiality.

I’ve begun to realize more and more how destructive these trends are. It is precisely so dangerous because it’s not immediately ‘life-threatening’ or obviously detrimental to our well-being. But really, this narcissistic, media-driven, consumer-oriented society is actually driving us all restlessly insane under our very own skin. We just think it’s normal now – an expression of our ‘freedom’, a privilege of our ‘developed’ world. In feeding the physical and the egoistical part of us, we have numbed our senses to our spiritual and inward starvation. We are desperate for a different kind of ‘more’, but we do not know it, or even care to admit it.

A lot of the pre-occupations and seeming ‘necessities’ in our lives are actually merely fine-looking or even noble distractions that take us away from encountering the life-giving reality of God, which opens our eyes to blatant injustice and spiritual need in our world. Much of our identities are all muddled up and falsely shaped by the marketing ploys of the mass-media or by what our peers and even our parents or teachers tell us are important.

I believe one of the things that can help shake up a person’s world is travel. By that, I do not mean camping trips or luxury holidays, nor do I mean jet-setting round the world on a shoe-string budget primarily to satisfy your own tastes or interests. By ‘travel’, I mean entering into diverse places and cultures and communities that are different to our prior life experiences. By ‘entering into’, I mean the act of making certain commitments to learn from, partner with, and work alongside a particular group of people in a specific context that may challenge us deeply in every aspect of our lives.

What I am proposing is simply what Jesus did. He entered in to our context, our world. He still does. He raised up a missional tribe of twelve disciples and sent them out to touch the world and bring life to those worn-out weary souls. What Jesus did miraculously touches me today (and millions of others around the globe). He touches me so deeply (with his mercy), so warmly (with his love), and sometimes so searingly (with his truth), that I am compelled to give all my life to love as He calls me to love tough people in tough places. In all this, I often fail miserably. You and I always will have our intermittent stumbles, but what I’ve come to realize is that Jesus sees our hearts. He sees that we are fighting, we are reaching, we are seeking, pursuing, running this race. So he reaches out and picks me up again and again when I fall. He is the reason why I started this journey, this ‘wayfaring by faith’, and this very moment of introspective writing.

That is why the consumer culture can no longer dictate my motives, my actions, and my plans. I need to go through this paradigm shift, and I still am in the process of it! While I live in Australia, I am faced with it every single day. It’s difficult to not be influenced by it. But I’m finding more and more that if I immerse myself in the words of the Bible, my mind is renewed by Truth and motivated by the love Jesus demonstrated. In so doing, my attitude undergoes a subtle, ongoing transformation. I’m meeting many other followers and seekers of Jesus Christ who are undergoing this same miracle of restoration and radical change in their lives as they turn to faith in Him with tears of repentance and a heart full of newfound hope.

When we begin to re-orientate our lives toward the narrow path Jesus leads us on, we face new challenges, but we also are filled with a remarkable peace that stays with us amidst dark and tumultuous times. When we begin to follow Him more and more wholeheartedly, we dive deeper into His presence and become part of His missional tribe. Jesus doesn’t want us to just spend time with him and live a good life. He didn't call us to subscribe to mere religion and make a nice life for ourselves. He wants to send us out to love radically and be his agents of reconciliation for a broken world. One day I might be stoned for writing all this so openly, but now that I have hands to write, I will write with no apologies. Jesus is sending us out as part of his missional tribe. Isn't that incredible, that God desires us to partner in His great mission work of redemption? He is the instigator and initiator of all missional activity the world over. It's pretty awesome!

By missional, I mean ‘missionary’. It’s not a professional title or merely a credential you study for. It sounds complicated, but really, it’s simply a calling – a calling to each of us who commit to follow Jesus. It is a call to enter into the tough corners of our society, our world. It is a call to journey with Jesus in a cross-cultural mission venture spanning street to street, village to village, city to city, border to border, island to island, and continent to continent.

For many, this calling is for their home turf, their neighbourhood, and their street. For others, it means going to other cities and slums, to other jungles and villages, to other deserts and desolate towns. For some, it will mean doing both in their lifetimes. I’m already brimming with nervous anticipation! Isn’t this crazy and exciting and difficult all at the same time? Precisely so! I hope this moves and inspires and challenges you to rethink your posture in life so you can be on your way to discovering your God-given destiny.

For me personally, 2015 has been a transitionary year of immense growth and simple yet soul-riveting challenges. My pride and self-assurance has been undergoing a time of ‘chipping away’. I hope and pray that one day it is utterly decimated, because I don’t want to cling to it anymore! My need to buy and consume and serve myself has also been confronted drastically. I still fall into these traps, but I have been made more aware of their drastic consequences. More and more, God has been forging in me a fire to mobilize others to spiritual awakening and toward a ‘missional’ outlook in life. We can’t just sit around and keep ourselves happy! Neither should we work our bums off to serve our own needs and interests. True freedom is being able to serve others wholeheartedly as God calls us to.

As I work this out through my daily seeking, my involvement in locally diverse communities (Australia), and abroad in my upcoming return to Africa and my music missions to Rwanda, Uganda and South Sudan, I invite you to journey with me and enter into new imaginations and conversations. It is an exciting gift to be alive. Are you up for the soul-riveting, life-altering, heart-transforming adventure? Let’s give God our all!

At some stage, all of us are called to face our point of no return. By that, I mean that stage in life where you choose to go or not to go; where you say yes or no to God, in regards to a specific calling or direction you are about to take.

The point of no return is when you say yes to God and surrender your plans wholly to Him. The point of no return is when you fall in love with the people He has called you to bless and reach and show compassion to. The point of no return is when you forge those heart and soul relationships with difficult people and begin to cross the barriers that were once so impossible to break down. The point of no return is when you realize that this tough thing is your calling, your destiny. Then instead of fighting it, or giving in to doubt and fear, you begin to embrace it along with all its challenges. This is the point of no return – when you realize that this is God’s best for you. And nothing else will satisfy you anyway, no matter how enticing all these ‘other’ things appear to be at times.

Since I got back from my first trip to Africa this February, I was on the ‘cusp’ of my very own point of no return. I could still turn away from it all and tell God, ‘Yeah it was an amazing trip, but I don’t think I’ll ever go back to do harder things.’ I could have thought to myself, ‘Now I’ve got some fine experiences down for my future resume, I can get back to life in Australia quite comfortably.’ But for some reason, I just knew that there was going to be more. It was a ‘taster’ trip, and also a test of my personal resolve in seeking God’s purpose for my life. When I came back, I knew that there were things I needed to let go right here in Australia. I needed to focus on where God was leading me, and relinquish my own well-crafted plans.

And you know what God was telling me? He was telling me to spend the most part of 2015 with Him: just to sit and soak in his presence; to read and reflect on his word; to sing songs and write songs; to wait on him for the next thing. Now that’s a hard thing to do. I’m prone to saying yes to many things and most people. I have a tendency to want to move and do and go, go, go! The fact that I’ve spent the last 7 months doing very little apart from reading (I’ve read over 40 books in this time period), playing music, songwriting, teaching music, and serving at a local church made of predominantly Sudanese young people, is itself miraculous. I’ve stopped all my socializing and meeting up with people. I’ve stopped going out and watching movies whenever I felt like it (yes I used to do that all the time when I was in university!). I’ve stopped all the other things that used to distract me. It wasn’t easy at first, saying no to things. But after a month or two, I began to enjoy this luxury of ‘rest’ and just spending more and more time with God. Now I'm able to say yes to some of these things again in the right measure, but also in light of my daily reality with God - which really changes everything!

It was only when I began to take the time to listen to God and let His love sink deep into my heart that I began to change my outlook and attitude. I began to strive less and serve more (I’m still learning this!). I began to relinquish my critical attitude and become more aware of my subtle veneer of pride. I began to discover more fully my identity in Jesus Christ, and this inexpressible joy and peace began to flood into my existence. Although I had to go through some dark moments, now I look back and realize that those were my defining points of choosing. Would I give up on seeking God just because I was going through a tough time, or would I press on and dig deeper? Would I give up on the people God has called and led me to love and serve, or would I stay put and keep giving until there was a breakthrough?

Now I can only look back with immeasurable thankfulness to God for keeping me through and making sure I didn’t give up and go on with my self-assured life plans that were so ingrained in me before my first African trip. Now I really can’t thank God enough for His grace. He wanted to lead me to this point of no return. I can now see all those times where I was tempted and enticed to go just the opposite direction – to do my own thing, to rebel against God’s best purposes, to run my own life with people whom I weren’t meant to journey with. But thank God! Those wrong turns were intercepted as I realized that I was going downhill. And it felt awful – although at first it seemed great. Needless to say, I came running back to God, who really was with me all along. My heart began to sink into the right place again, and then I had to make those decisions to stay put in the right place with the right people I needed to be with for this season.

And now I’ve gone deeper along the point of no return. I truly feel now that I can’t go back to where I once was. A dog should never return to his vomit. There’s really nothing great about it. I see it now. In a few weeks I’m heading back to Rwanda and I’m forever grateful to God for keeping me on track every time I’ve veered off track. If he didn’t, I wouldn’t be making this trip. If I didn’t spend all those daily two to four hours with him, away from everything else, I wouldn’t be making this trip. If he didn’t teach me to persevere and to do the hard yards, I wouldn’t be making this trip and progressing along the path He has called me to.

In the end, the point of no return is when I realize God’s love for me (and you) is really so immeasurable and that nothing else in this world could satiate my soul-hunger for His presence. I want nothing else but to be where He has called me to be. All those other things that used to entice me now pale in comparison to how beautiful and deep and faithful and loving God is to me through Jesus Christ my Saviour and Friend.

A Suri girl of Ethiopia. Photograph by Mario Gerth, 2010.

As the African proverb goes, "It takes a village to raise a child."

Indeed, we forget that the modern, western, 'democratic', technological world is not the entire world. When we dare immerse ourselves in the intricacies and complexities of other cultures, we're mind-blown at the sheer wondrous beauty and magnificence of the diversity God created, and yet also stand in awe at the intrinsic stirrings He has wrought within us all from the beginning of time. It's glorious.

As I reflect on my past travels in the Middle East and the African continent, I recall those precious moments of mutuality and 'sharing' with those I interacted with. It didn't matter that they could not comprehend just how far 'down under' (Australia) was, and how many time zones away it is. What always intrigues me is the warmth of perfect strangers who welcome me as if I were family. Of course, I guess I happened to go to places that were not openly hostile to or suspicious of foreigners. Nevertheless, there were still cultural obstacles that I had to navigate through.

I will admit, from my short-term encounters abroad and my music ministry in Melbourne with Sudanese, Burmese, Afghan and Indian youth and communities, I am just discovering how especially daunting the work of a cross-cultural mission worker is. You cannot approach the host culture or people using the same methods that worked for you previously in your home country or elsewhere. You need to be stripped of presumptions and pride. Your self-sufficiency and critical attitudes need to be utterly decimated. You have to enter into their world first of all with humility and with respectability. You shouldn't propose your ideas until you hear theirs and understand at least a fraction of how they view their world.

It's an immense privilege to walk in the path of what I believe is my calling. It takes courage and determination to step out of my comfort zone again and again. It takes intuition and patience to grasp the intricacies of different and evolving cultures. Most of all, it humbles me and teaches me to be more like Jesus, who taught his disciples to serve and love others - even those who were their enemies. This is the narrow way. It won't be an easy trek, but I'm realizing more and more that it really is my only and best track. It's my destiny.

Since I was 13 and encountered the reality of God, I had asked Him to take me to tough places, to people in challenging circumstances, to 'the least of these', to the last and the lost, and you know what? He has answered me at every turn, step by step. Never could I imagine even two years ago that in 2015 I'd end up with different kinds of cultures and peoples and be deeply connected in the depths of the depths with those who are facing some of the toughest circumstances imaginable. Take the beloved Sudanese people for example, emerging out of 50 years of civil war - Africa's longest-running civil war. Can you imagine the land and people enduring decades of guns, bombs, raids, village burnings, famine, pillaging, guerrilla warfare, mass rape, murders, child soldiers, mass graves, and a myriad of other heinous war crimes? Millions displaced and an estimated 1.5 million or more lives lost over the years. God is weeping. He is moving - even though the world's news and media outlets will not write about it. So how can we, His followers, also not be weeping and moving?

But through all this, what I see and feel and hear is that the Sudanese people are such a resilient people. I respect these friends and leaders of mine (at church and in the Sudanese-Australian refugee community) with all my heart. Instead of it simply being about me teaching these young people music and equipping them in leadership, I believe it is me who is learning most of the time. Intercultural ministry is my school. It is my 'higher education', although I've now graduated with my Bachelor of Music and completing my Graduate Diploma of Theology this year. Have I yet mentioned that I am humbled? Yes. It is with people in the 'trenches' that God teaches me how to love and to forgive and to pour out my life generously in relationship as He does.

Through it all, the convoluted complexities of culture's good and bad fade into the background along with the gunfire and smoke. What I see is each person God places in front of me to love, to bless, to encourage, to revive. What I smell is the fragrant perfume of God's Spirit at work in our hearts and lives to bring about inside-out transformation and restoration.

Hope is on the horizon. No, it is already here, in our hearts.

DJ Romeofoxy in his Usandibate music video! Photograph: Romeo Mudimu.

Romeo Mudimu, or DJ Romeofoxy – as he’s known by fans and listeners alike – has the mind of an entrepreneur and a creative spirit that’s charting new territory in the Zimbabwean music industry. Born in Tshotsholo, a small community in the Matebeleland region of Zimbabwe, he later spent his childhood in Bulawayo – the second largest city in Zimbabwe. As a high-schooler, Romeo settled in Kwekwe – a town in the Midlance province. Now based in Harare, the capital city of Zimbabwe, he continues to inspire confidence in other young Africans with his positive funky vibes through his radio and television program. Romeo plans to travel the world, collaborate with like-minded artists, and share his afro-beats through new platforms!

It’s been a few months since we first met in December while I was in Harare. I remember having some awesome conversations with Romeo that were both funny and meaningful. Being a musician myself, I understand the challenges that one has to overcome in the artistic sphere. I absolutely loved Romeo’s zest for life and his desire to influence and be a part of developing the emerging music industry in Zim. I remember listening with intrigue as he told me about the kind of music he fuses with his DJ-ing skills – what he calls “Afro-house”. Before going to Zim, I’d never heard of that combination in my life! I’m sure it exists in the world, but just probably not in Australia! (Laughs.) It’s basically an eclectic fusion of Afro-beats and House music. His brother – Kenneth Mudimu – played me some tunes from the genre, and I was pretty fascinated by its atmospheric nature and the crazy rhythms running through! If you never heard of this quirky sub-genre, be sure to check it out. In the meantime, let’s hear from DJ Romeofoxy…

Janielle | When did you discover the art of DJ-ing and what’s the coolest gig you’ve ever done?

Romeo | I have always loved music and spent a lot of time listening to cassettes when I was younger and sharing the music with my friends. Though DJ-ing was not something that I ever thought of for a long time, in 2003, I thought I’d share the music that I loved with people on a much bigger platform – so naturally, I thought of becoming a DJ. I put together what I call ‘Afro-house’, which has strong elements of African instruments, with emphasis on drums, wind instruments, mbira (a thumb-piano originating in Zimbabwe), and all these cultural samples which date back centuries ago – but I bring them back to life to suit the contemporary club context.

That's an mbira! It makes the coolest-sounding tones, I loved playing it!

Romeo | The coolest gig that I have ever done was recently this year, when I played music for a five year-old’s birthday celebration for free :) It was really special and challenging at the same time, but at the end of the party I felt really good seeing all the smiles on their little faces, and I was glad I did the gig!

Janielle | I love how it always begins with something you love doing. I think that’s what our first conversation was about! So, who inspired you to pursue the sphere of music – which I believe can be a lot tougher than settling for an ordinary job in Zim?

Romeo | My faith in God. Through His word, I am challenged to live a purpose-driven life and to serve him through the gifts that he has given me in the arts.

Janielle | That’s so cool! I think it’s extremely rare to find guys like you who can see yourself using music and DJ-ing for God! At the moment, what’s a challenge facing upcoming musicians in Zimbabwe or Africa in general?

Romeo | In Zimbabwe, the biggest challenge that artists face is economic hardship – it is difficult and expensive to produce quality music and to make a living out of the industry. It’s also tough to gather enough support from the general public since the arts is thought of to be a ‘non-essential’ for people.

Janielle | That’s the reason why I believe in what you do. It may be ‘non-essential’, but I think every culture, and every society needs its own style of expression. Although it’s tough to get there, I think music is definitely something that can be used for a greater purpose! Amidst all the things in the media industry that could weigh you down, what’s the one thing that keeps you anchored?

Romeo | I am deeply in love with what I do.

Janielle | How simple and true! It’s that passion that keeps us going. So what’s next for you and where do you plan to travel in the future?

Romeo | Right now, I’m working on advancing as a DJ. While most other DJ’s focus on mixing music, I am going beyond that to focus on live video mixing – something that is not being done on the market, and especially in Zimbabwe.

As we speak, I have completed a pilot project in the form of a television program called InDaMix that’s being aired on national television. It is already receiving positive responses from the public and I intend to promote this by delving further into the area of video mixing. So far, I have ventured into producing Christian music and videos. I’ve also been involved on Zimbabwean radio where I’ve begun doing Christian dance mixes for the purpose of uplifting those who listen to my show.

In my plans to travel, I’d love to go to France, Australia, and the USA, and bring some Afro-vibes in those parts!

Janielle | Yes, we definitely need more of that down under! It’s been awesome talking to you, Romeo. Thanks for sharing your experiences and your music with the world. I think you made a pretty awesome choice to get out into the fray, try something different – like being a DJ! – and putting your heart to it. It’s amazing that as soon as we’ve begun, we realize with excitement that we can never know where the journey might lead us!

Jordan Moses is an American journalist currently hanging out in Greensboro, a hipster town in North Carolina. After studying as an exchange student in Melbourne, Australia for six months, she tried the whole nine to five desk job for a year and decided that life wasn’t for her. She’ll be taking another leap of faith soon when she dives into a backpacking trip coming up in December. In the meantime, keep up with her weekend adventures in East Coast America by subscribing to her recently-launched travel blog, The Pawprints We Leave.

I met Jordan (a.k.a Jomo) in 2012, then an aspiring creative writer on exchange at the University of Melbourne, where I was also studying my Bachelor of Music Performance. We met at a Planetshakers Urban Life group after being invited by a mutual friend and immediately clicked! Ah, you know that strange feeling? As you talk to this person you never before knew, you just have this gnawing suspicion that you must have known each other in another life! We soon found out that we had a few cool things in common: we were both the oldest of three sisters; shared different faith stories of the same transformative encounter with this amazing person named Jesus; and of course, loved going places, making local friends, writing about our experiences, and plotting new adventures!

I’ve always wanted to feature this cool chicka' on Wayfarer By Faith because we share such similar sentiments behind the why of our travels. What better time than to interview her now as she embarks on her latest adventure into the world of travel writing!

Jordan road-tripping along the Great Ocean Road, Victoria.

Whenever I meet people who have also evidently caught on the wanderlust bug, I always wonder how and when it happened. It fascinates me, because the passion to ‘get out there again’ seems to hinge on the relationships and life stories that have marked us through our past travel experiences. For both of us, it seems like our families’ love for road-tripping was one of the defining things that sparked the fire in our little minds long before we realized this whole globetrotting affair would become so much a part of shaping who we have become and who we are becoming! I hope you enjoy reading snippets of conversations we’ve shared along our journey…

Jomo | I’ve always liked to travel for as long as I can remember. My dad used to travel a lot for his job and our family would occasionally tag along. Let’s just say we took many a road trip and whether on a plane, bus, or car, I was turning around in my seat, attempting to strike up random conversations with whoever was behind me. I think traveling and specifically the journeys people take through life and the places they intersect, whether it be on the back of the bus or an airport terminal, have always intrigued me.

"As a creative writer, I only see people to love and stories to tell."

Janielle | I love how we both love to hear and share people stories! Do you make time to read when you travel? What are some of your best reads on the road?

Jomo | Oh, I love reading! I like to think of books as companions that provide knowledge, test our imaginations, and provide enough inspiration to shape our budding dreams. Plus, they help those plane rides to go by so much faster.

Favorite backpacking reads? This sounds boring, but I love grabbing travel guides for the area I’m in that tailor toward audiences “on a budget.” Just getting the inside scoop on the country I’m in is super helpful to me. Funny story, I actually found my copy of Australia: On a Budget in a quaint Cairns hostel with a book exchange. I have to say, I’m a big fan of the idea! As far as fiction, I remember having some spiritual breakthroughs upon reading The Shack by William Young while on a beach in Curacao. I couldn’t put it down even though tropical snorkeling was only a few steps away; literally, all I had to do was plunge my face into the water to find Nemo, but instead I came to understand the personification of the Holy Spirit in my life. I’ve never looked at the Trinity quite the same. Finally, even though expensive, I’ve found some great books just by grabbing what was advertised in airports. That’s how I discovered the first Hunger Games novel before it blew up; I finished it before I touched down in Atlanta!

Sky-diving in Virginia, woot!

Janielle | We all love to hear quirky stories of others’ unplanned escapades – what’s the most bizarre thing you’ve done in a foreign land?

Jomo | Ha, bizarre? I’ve found myself performing pop music I didn’t know the words to on a stage at Federation Square in front of a crowd of strangers in Melbourne; chasing Sydney possums in the middle of the night to see if the rumors were true that they’ll let you pet them if you hold out your finger (it’s true!); hitchhiking with an elderly couple in the Blue Ridge Mountains because the map wasn’t as easy to navigate as expected; and sleeping in a tent with four girls on the top of a mini-car we were road tripping the Great Ocean Road in.

"My life in general feels bizarre!"

Jordan playing rugby for UNC, Chapel Hill. (Told you she was one cool chicka'!)

Janielle | Truly, it’s the spontaneously crazy moments in life that keeps us alive! However, in the tougher moments of solo travel and introspection, how's Jesus and your faith real to you when you find yourself in unfamiliar territory and among unfamiliar people?

Jomo | Aw man, Jesus is everything. He’s life. He’s the reason I want to travel to meet the people and places he’s created. I’ve been through some crappy times, that’s for sure – from sickness, to dangerous street situations, to almost stepping on one of the world’s ten most venomous snakes – but none of them overwhelmed me because of the rock I stand upon. Jesus reminds me I’m not alone, that I never have to earn his love, that all of my failures, even the ones to come, have already been forgiven because he paid for a burden too big for me to ever bear. That knowledge – it sets me free. It allows me to leap, even if it means leaving the security of a job, knowing that no matter where I find myself, he will always catch me. He also just happens to provide the best relationships I could ever ask for along the way. I live for the companions he places in my path and I am constantly in awe at how close I can feel to a person I’ve only met an hour ago. Like when we met, it felt like we’d honestly been friends our whole lives. That’s what Christ can do.

Jordan embarking on a four-day trek in Tasmania, Australia.

Janielle | That, in my opinion, is truly the coolest thing about wayfaring by faith! Your path intersects with people you just know you were meant to meet because your hearts have experienced the same radical love, grace and truth beyond human comprehension. It’s the heart of why we’re on this journey – to love and inspire people we encounter along the way! Can you give us one sentence that sums the ‘magic’ of traveling for you?

Jomo | For me, it’s people; I believe that all good things come from and are inspired by God, so every time I feel the warmth of someone’s smile, find myself on the receiving side of a stranger’s generosity, or stand in awe of a person’s faith and ability to inspire, I have experienced the love of God.

If you loved the inspiring snippets shared in this feature, make sure you look out for our next interview-story with Zimbabwean DJ Artist and Radio Host Romeo Mudimu (a.k.a DJ Romeofoxy) of Harare. If you have any story suggestions of inspiring individuals in your life and city, shoot me a message!

Jordan enjoys good coffee, camping in remote places, and can occasionally be found climbing trees. Connect with her on Twitter: @PawprintsWeLeav. Photographs courtesy of JoMo.

With the beautiful Douglas family on their farm in Chinhoyi :)

I had the immense privilege of staying on a 400-hectar farm-land in Chinhoyi (about one and a half hours north of Harare city) with the incredible Douglas family Bruce and Sue, and their two adopted children David and Deborah. Ill never forget their open-hearted generosity and the words of truth that they have so graciously spoken into my life at this pivotal season in my faith journey.

I have learnt so much from their life story and the persecution they faced from standing their ground in Zimbabwe through all the political, economical and racial turmoil, and at the same time trying to raise their kids both their biological children Nathan and Tracy, as well as David and Deborah, the children they had fostered from the time they were mere babies and eventually were able to formally adopt about ten years later; through the tumultuous times of the farm invasions, when white farmers in Zimbabwe were threatened and many driven out of their homes and farm lands. The Douglass had to also deal with the racial discrimination and misunderstandings that resulted from their decision to foster and adopt two Zimbabwean orphans. It was also extra difficult in their case because one of the children was HIV-positive. So despite all their friends and many of their family or neighbours hating and ridiculing them for making these children their own, they decided against all opposition to continue with what they believed God was calling them to do. This amazing couple knew they needed to return to Zimbabwe no matter what.

After Bruce's life had been threatened, they fled the country for a time and were forced to leave Dave and Deb in an orphanage. It was a horrific time for them all. But eventually they returned and by the grace of God, were able to choose and walk in the path of forgiveness with the black Zimbabwean war veteran who took their farm lands by force. The man had tried farming the land for seven years, but it was futile, because he had never worked in the farming business. He eventually asked the Douglass to return to build up their business again (Sues family were third generation farmers in Chinhoyi), although he would still maintain ownership of the farm and receive a large percentage of the Douglass profits.

Nevertheless, it is simply amazing to hear their story of forgiveness and reconciliation, because it was no doubt such a difficult thing to choose during the land grab, their house was completely looted, their lives were threatened and their whole livelihood was taken forcefully from them. How do you forgive people who have hurt your family and taken away what you love and treasure? I am just mind-blown by their tenacity, their faith in Jesus and their relentless love for the people of Zimbabwe especially the rural villagers and the orphans of the community.

Since their return to the farming business in Chinhoyi, they have also opened up a butchery shop and a small take-out place. Through their business, they have been able to reach out to countless black Zimbabweans who are struggling to survive and provide for their families. The Douglass testify to seeing all this as a God-given opportunity to minister to people whose needs run deeper than the mere physical.

I truly felt that it was no coincidence that I had met them on December 6 when I was transiting on the plane from Johannesburg to Harare. (Read my previous post for that story!) When they gave me their number and invited me to stay with them at Chinhoyi at some point in my trip, I took that on board, but for the next two weeks got too busy to contact them. But finally when I did, it turned out to be the perfect timing to call them. They immediately offered to pick me from my missions teamhouse in Harare the very next day because they were heading to the city to drop their daughters family off at the airport! Talk about divine appointment, I believe this was definitely one of them.

You know why? Now that I reflect on it, I truly believe these guys were an answered prayer, even before I had gone on the two weeks of ministry work with the street kids and the slum township God knew the challenges I would face, He knew the prayers I would make in those two weeks, and He knew I needed to meet these guys and learn from their ministry and experience. Truly, the last two weeks have been challenging, as I saw the scale of deprivation and brokenness in the various families, villages, townships and communities I entered into. Many children and young people were orphaned or only had one parent who could not afford to provide for them or send them to school. The townships were simply lacking in basic infrastructure, and so many people were stuck in the poverty mentality what Bruce called an orphan spirit. Many are content to take and get as much or as little as they can from aid organisations, but they are reluctant or unable to envision themselves taking initiative or responsibility to make the changes in their own communities.

It'd really make me cry when I'd go back into my room at the end of the day and take all this in within my heart, mind and spirit. The poverty is not just a physical problem, or even a psychological one. It is a spiritual problem the vicious cycle of want, abuse, lack of knowledge, and recurrent sins have wrecked havoc that is seemingly beyond repair. There is so much brokenness. The darkness is so great, you wonder if the light would or could shine for very long if at all in some of these shadowy crevices. So in my despair, I cried out to God. I still cry out to God. And I realize then with deeper conviction that what God is calling me to do and every other person who desires to do something with their lives is to reach the inward person; the person within the person.

Often we are so caught up with our projects, our aid work, and our charitable actions that we forget to reach out to someone and share with them the hope that is found in Jesus. This is truly my conviction. Yes, we need to clothe the naked, feed the hungry, fill the thirsty, fight for the oppressed, provide healthcare for the sick and wounded, offer counseling for the mentally distressed, and all these other things that we know we need to concern ourselves about but, most of all, we need to do all this with the kingdom of God in mind and heart. It is found in Isaiah 58 and 61. Jesus came to set the captives free you and me included. He came to restore the broken-hearted and the spiritually malnourished. He came to establish righteousness and justice. He is alive and working right now in the hearts of those who are hearing his voice and feeling his spirit touch the deepest part of our being. It is not an ambiguous voice, it is clear and loud but it is precisely clear and loud because it is spoken all in a spirit whisper. It is a stark contrast to the noise and the brash voices of the world around us. It takes guts, patience and humility to listen. How can I even begin to describe it? It is the most wonderful thing!

God speaks to us in many ways but the first thing we should turn to is His inspired word, the Bible. It is through this very thing that He can also illuminate our hardened hearts and stubborn minds through circumstances, people, songs and music, and through anything really. But Im discovering more and more that when I read Gods word and I choose to be still and silent to hear His voice, He speaks to me in my thoughts and in impressions that cannot be explained with words. But like I said, Jesus does not speak ambiguously. We are not left as orphans in the dark. We are sons and daughters of God in Christ Jesus. Because of His redemptive work on the cross, we can come to God in full confidence, knowing that we are washed clean and made whole. The worst sinner is the proud in heart the one who doesn't acknowledge God and who refuses to admit his pride and lostness. (Now were you offended by that? Perhaps you have that pride in you then. Just as I had, and I still do have when I am not careful to let God examine and purify my thoughts and intentions.)

Anyhow, as I was saying earlier (haha I know, I tend to go on these d-and-m tangents) God really knew that I needed to meet Bruce and Sue. A few days ago, before I went to their place on the 22nd of December, I was out in a place called Gweru on a camping safari trip. When I was out there, living in the river tent, hearing the sounds of lions roaring and elephants bellowing in the near distance, I did not have any communication network on my phone. So I told God I would spend lots of time just taking in the surroundings, reflecting on my last two weeks in Zimbabwe, reading, journaling, praying and worshipping with my ukulele. As I did all that, I really felt that I wanted more of Gods spirit. I wanted to know Jesus in a deeper way. For a long time, I had known about him. Now I do know Him, his spirit living within me but still, I want to go deeper. And truly, there is so much more! So that's it, isnt it? The whole Christian journey is to desire more of who Jesus is. That is what makes the Christ-ian (a follower of Christ) journey such an exciting, never-ending joy-and-challenge-filled one.

I asked God to continue to lead me to people who would be able to guide me and speak into my life so that I could learn more about His word, His kingdom, His calling for me, His purpose, and His gifts through the Holy Spirit. It was a specific prayer, and I knew God would answer it. On one of the rainy days when I was sitting in my river tent, with my ukulele and Bible in hand, I felt compelled to read John 12 (it popped up in my mind). When I turned to it, I knew God was bringing this passage to my memory for a reason. It was the event where Mary (Lazarus and Martha's sister) broke the precious alabaster perfume jar at the feet of Jesus in an act of love and worship. Judas (who was later to betray Jesus) got irritated by the lavish display of devotion, and expressed his hypocritical indignation by saying something to the effect of, What a waste! That expensive jar of alabaster could have been sold for a years worth of wages and given to the poor! But guess what, Jesus rebuked him and said, What this woman has done for me will be preached all over the world. You will always have the poor with you, but not Me.

As I asked God what this passage meant for me personally and for the next lap of my journey next year, I felt Him telling me that this coming year will be a year for me to spend getting to know Jesus in a deeper way. It will be a year of knowing Him and sitting at his feet by making that time and it can only happen if I am willing to break my alabaster jar before Him and for His purpose. Its not about good works or giving away everything to the poor (although faith should manifest itself in fruitful works as such). It is about Jesus. It is about knowing Him so deeply like a friend, a mentor, and of course, my personal Lord and Saviour. It is about being filled with His love, truth and spirit so much so that I will naturally live out in boldness the life He is calling me to. It will not be a life of comfort or self-satisfaction, but it will be a life of adventure, challenges, sacrifice, obedience and true fulfilment. This is joy, hope, peace and overflowing love that can only come from God the Giver of life!

Amazingly, the few days that I spent on the farm with the Douglass led me in exactly the direction that I was headed. I didn't know it, but God was setting me up through these guys. Every morning, despite the busyness of their schedule and work, Bruce and Sue would take time after breakfast to chat with me and we would pray and do a Bible study together. It was such a special time. For some reason, Bruce felt compelled to talk about the foundations of faith as well as the gifts of the Holy Spirit. And surprise, surprise, these were the exact things I had been asking God to teach me about because I knew I needed to learn them on a deeper level at this point in my walk with God. See, I knew there was a reason I was coming to Zimbabwe! It was more than just for volunteer or missions work, travel and backpacking. I believe meeting this couple and their family was one of the things that I needed to encounter while in Zimbabwe and God made it happen in the most miraculous of ways!

Bruce also generously gave me a few books to guide me on these topics and help me plunge deeper into what God is calling me to. On my last morning at their place, Bruce and Sue wanted to pray for me and ask God to speak into my life for this season. So we stood up and they stood around me, they laid their hands on me and prayed for me. You know, the Bible says when two or three are gathered in My name, I will hear them. And God does. They spoke words of life into my life, as inspired by the Holy Spirit in those special moments. It was nothing emotional or drastic, it was simply God using these guys to encourage and guide me along the narrow path. Immediately after, I got my journal and wrote down the stuff they said and the things I believe God was also speaking to me. I know that I wont take the conventional path, I wont live for my own ambitions. I know that God is establishing and grounding my identity in Christ as I walk in faith. He is teaching me how to live as His daughter, His disciple. I know there's a reason that I had gone to Israel a few months before during the 50-day summer war. I know there's definitely a reason I finally made it to Africa at this time and landed up here. I know God is building a conviction and passion within me to use my love for music, writing and the arts to minister to people in dark places and draw them to the grace and knowledge of who Jesus is. I am not ashamed of it. It is life and hope the best thing I have ever found, so why would I hesitate to share it with anyone I encounter along the way?

I know that God will continue to lead me out into the fray, to step into difficult places and to walk a different path. But what I must do is uphold the word of truth, the light unto my path, everywhere that I walk. I must live by faith and not merely by sight. I must trust and obey, and not rely on my own abilities or understanding alone. I must worship fully and love all, as Jesus calls each of us to do. I must build my life on the solid rock, on the surest foundation, that is Jesus Christ himself. I must continue to acquire, with hard work and patience and of course, no little measure of ingenuity new and practical skills, so I can be more effective in blessing others wherever I go.

My focus is not on charity, it is on building the kingdom of God. It is not a kingdom of high walls and fortresses, opulent halls and the use of political prowess. It is an invisible kingdom that bears fruit in the people whose lives will be transformed from the inside out. It will uphold truth, righteousness and justice. It will be built on the rocks of prayer, worship and the study of Gods word. It will be a safe haven, a place where captives are released from their chains and bondage. It will bring forth peace-makers (note: not peace-keepers, there's a vast difference), missionaries, teachers, worshipers, entrepreneurs who will use their gifts for the benefit of others, and so many more.

I will not be intimidated by mere men. I will not be discouraged by circumstances, although there will be times when Ill be tempted to remain in such discouragement. But you know, often it is sadness and despair at the sorry state of our broken world that drives us to God, and once again, to hope in Jesus. It is not a futile hope, I assure you. There will be scoffers and mockers and doubters, but let me say it again: my faith is not a crutch; it is a pillar, a sure anchor for the soul!

I will fight and make a stand. I will fail, but I will not give up the struggle. Yes, I will fall, but I will not stop getting up again. By the grace of God go I. I am weak, but it is precisely my weakness that allows for God's strength to show.

I am so looking forward to the weeks and months ahead. It is an exciting time. Treacherous things are happening around the world evil is growing stronger, the love of many is growing colder but we hold fast to Christ and His promises. We do not sit back and relax, we do not hide in our holes like hermits; we will stand up and fight. We will fight for joy, for peace, for our own character to be forged, for the people who do not have what we have, for the kingdom that is unseen, for the truth that we have received.

'For God did not give us a spirit of fear and timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of a sound mind.' 2 Timothy 1:7